"Who is Beiluo Shimen?"
Jiang Yuan looked at the illusory figure before him, his face full of confusion.
"It is Beiluo Shimen."
To Jiang Yuan's surprise, the illusory man could actually hear him speak. He raised a finger, pointing at the Persian cat that kept letting out pitiful "meows," and said to Jiang Yuan.
"I am the North Star Lord of the Celestial Realm. In my early years, I obtained this spirit beast, the Ethereal Cloud Shadow Cat. Since I guard the Northern Heavenly Gate's seal, I named it Beiluo Shimen."
The illusory man spoke again, but his words left Jiang Yuan frozen in place!
"What! You... you... you're someone from the Celestial Realm?"
Jiang Yuan knew very little about the Celestial Realm, only having heard that one could enter after reaching level 120. So when the man revealed his identity, Jiang Yuan stood stunned for several seconds before snapping back to reality and asking.
"That's right. I am the North Star Lord, guardian of the Northern Heavenly Gate of the Celestial Realm. Because my celestial pet, Beiluo Shimen, descended to the mortal world without permission, I came searching for it. Unexpectedly, I encountered the Eastern Demon Lord, one of the Four Demon Emperors. I fought him for a day and a night, was gravely wounded, and fled here to recuperate. Then I ran into the ancient beast Lili, couldn't defeat it, and was killed by it."
After speaking, the North Star Lord sighed, gazing at Beiluo Shimen with eyes full of affection.
"Meow!"
Beiluo Shimen, whom Jiang Yuan had been calling Meow Meow, let out a mournful cry. Jiang Yuan even saw its eyes grow moist, as if tears were gathering at the corners.
"Meow Meow, so you had such a beautiful name and such a powerful master!"
Jiang Yuan reached out, scooped Meow Meow into his arms, patted its head, and said to it.
"Young friend, what is your esteemed name? I never expected Beiluo Shimen wouldn't reject you."
The North Star Lord watched as Meow Meow obediently curled up in Jiang Yuan's arms, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he spoke.
"My name is Jiang Yuan. Over a month ago, I found Meow, oh, I mean Beiluo Shimen, in a demon camp and brought it back."
Jiang Yuan held Beiluo Shimen and explained to the North Star Lord how he had encountered it.
"It seems the demons couldn't hold back and have struck the mortal world early. Young friend Jiang Yuan, once the demons conquer the mortal realm, the entire Three Realms will face catastrophe! You must hold the line!"
After hearing Jiang Yuan's account, the North Star Lord's expression turned serious as he spoke solemnly to Jiang Yuan.
"Even a big shot from the Celestial Realm like you can't beat the demons. What are we mortals supposed to fight with?"
Jiang Yuan spread his hands and rolled his eyes as he said.
"The mortal realm is the foundation of the Celestial Realm. If the demons force their way into the mortal world, their power will be suppressed. Though you can't match them one-on-one, as long as you unite, you can surely defend the Great World of Huaxia!"
The North Star Lord smiled at Jiang Yuan and offered reassurance.
"Just now, I sensed a trace of the Sacred Beast Xuanwu's aura. Though faint, it was unmistakably the unique presence of the Celestial Realm's Sacred Beast Xuanwu. Young friend Jiang Yuan, do you know anything about this?"
The North Star Lord suddenly recalled something and looked at Jiang Yuan, asking.
"I summoned it."
Jiang Yuan said, then immediately activated the "Sacred Beast Xuanwu" skill.
"Hahaha! Good, good, good! To think someone could channel the power of the stars and manifest the true form of Xuanwu. No wonder I sensed a hint of the Sacred Beast's aura!"
Seeing the Sacred Beast Xuanwu summoned by Jiang Yuan, the North Star Lord exclaimed "good" three times in a row, his face alight with excitement as he looked at Jiang Yuan.
"Young friend Jiang Yuan, for the safety of the mortal realm, I intend to lend you another hand. Are you willing to accept my inheritance?"
"Your inheritance? What's that?"
Jiang Yuan, puzzled, looked at the North Star Lord and asked.
"Accept my inheritance, and when you ascend to the Celestial Realm, you will become the next North Star Lord, commanding the 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals of the Northern Heavenly Gate!"
The North Star Lord smiled at Jiang Yuan and spoke words that left him utterly stunned.
"What! The next North Star Lord? You're not joking, are you?"
Jiang Yuan rubbed his ears, thinking he had misheard!
"Heh, I'm not joking. As long as you successfully receive my inheritance power, you can succeed as the North Star Lord and also become the new master of Beiluo Shimen!"
"I'm in!"
As soon as the North Star Lord finished speaking, Jiang Yuan nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice!
"Good. Now, do as I say."
Seeing Jiang Yuan nod in agreement, the North Star Lord began guiding him step by step to receive his inheritance power.
"Sit cross-legged, embrace unity, cast aside distractions, let your heart be as clear as ice!"
The North Star Lord's expression turned serious as he instructed Jiang Yuan to assume a meditation posture.
Jiang Yuan closed his eyes as told, took a few deep breaths, and his mind gradually became empty and serene.
The North Star Lord's phantom extended a finger and pressed it directly onto Jiang Yuan's brow!
Instantly, an indescribably vast and mighty force surged into Jiang Yuan's body. Boundless pain flooded in like a tidal wave, engulfing him entirely!
"Ah!"
The sudden agony twisted Jiang Yuan's brows together as he let out a pained scream. He felt as if his head was about to split open from the pressure.
"Meow!"
Beiluo Shimen, lying beside Jiang Yuan, sensed the familiar aura radiating from him and immediately cried out. A soft white light emanated from its body, merging with the golden glow from the North Star Lord's fingertip, and both entered Jiang Yuan's body together.
"Beiluo Shimen, I never thought you'd take such a liking to him. That's fine—at least someone will look after you for me from now on."
The North Star Lord turned his head to glance at Beiluo Shimen on the ground, his gaze filled with affection.
After an unknown amount of time, the pain in Jiang Yuan's head gradually subsided, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"As expected of someone who can channel Xuanwu's power—you managed to withstand my inheritance force."
The North Star Lord nodded in satisfaction. His figure had dimmed considerably, his features now extremely blurred, leaving only a faint, barely visible shadow.
"Thank you, Celestial Lord, for bestowing your inheritance!"
Jiang Yuan knelt on the ground, performing the ritual of three bows and nine prostrations as a disciple, speaking with gratitude.
"The heavens flow ever onward, my path grows ever bright. The heavens flow ever onward, my path grows ever bright... Hahaha!"
Having channeled all his inheritance power into Jiang Yuan's body, the North Star Lord repeated the same phrase over and over, laughed three times, and then dissolved into a sky full of starlight, vanishing into the void!
"Ding! Server-wide announcement: Congratulations to player Jiang Yuan for his profound fortune, obtaining a celestial inheritance!"
The moment the North Star Lord disappeared, a system announcement spread across the entire Dragon Kingdom server!
Every player on the Dragon Kingdom server saw this announcement and began speculating about what celestial inheritance Jiang Yuan had obtained.
As for Jiang Yuan, the one directly involved, after receiving the North Star Lord's inheritance power, he immediately opened his attribute panel, only to find no changes at all. He had no idea what benefits the so-called inheritance had brought him. But just as he turned to look at Meow Meow, he noticed a line of small text above its head:
[Jiang Yuan's Celestial Pet: Beiluo Shimen]